By: I Made Milagro Azra Sentana
On the 1st of February 2021, a coup d’état carried out by the military occurred in Myanmar, detaining the democratically elected president Aung San Suu Kyi over election fraud allegations - following a subsequent year-long state of emergency. From then on, the military has seized complete authority.
Photo: Reuters
APU Times have interviewed 2 students from Myanmar to understand how this coup has affected their daily lives as a student.
“It’s very heartbreaking”, 3rd-year student Yuki expressed.
Yuki recalled that day vividly when she woke up on a sunny day in Japan, bombarded by text messages and calls from worried friends and family members back in Myanmar. She quickly realized what was happening and became extremely worried as the internet blackouts in Myanmar prevented her from contacting her parents for 2 solid days.
She was then forced to rely on international calling applications like Rebtel, which can cost around 500円-1,000円 for 10 minutes worth of calling. Nowadays, Yuki cannot contact her parents at night due to the internet cutoffs occurring since the coup.
“In the beginning, it was easy to track the people who died, but after a couple more weeks, we could not keep track anymore”
The situation in Myanmar became dire as the police and military have used ammunition to disperse a mostly peaceful crowd, which resulted in many (mostly young people) being killed. A boy was shot in the head during a peaceful demonstration - since then, many have taken to the streets, to voice their frustration and opposition towards the military government.
While another part of the population relies on other forms of peaceful demonstrations such as the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) - doctors, lawyers, teachers, bankers, and workers refusing to work as a means of peaceful demonstration.
Protesters were crying
Yuki applauded her friends’ bravery for being on the streets, protesting for the release of president Aung San Suu Kyi and the end of the military coup - knowing how extremely violent and aggressive the police have become towards peaceful protesters. Nonetheless, Yuki,
alongside 4,000 other Burmese workers and students joined a peaceful demonstration in Tokyo, where they walked around Shibuya, catching the attention of nearby bystanders with their banners and posters. The support did not only come from the Burmese community, as a surprising amount of Japanese people who were aware of the situation joined to show their support as well, Yuki mentioned.
Yuki recalled how emotional that day was. From the increasing feeling of solidarity to a dreadful and anxious feeling for their country’s future.
“Some of the protesters were crying, and so was I”, as people were dying on the streets and the thought of helplessness shrouded her thoughts.
Even before this, Yuki was a member of the Myanmar Youth Student Association (MYSA), mostly volunteering in activities, but now has shifted their focus on bringing more awareness to the current situation in Myanmar. Such activities include the pot banging movement - where banging pots is seen as a symbol of solidarity, having informational zoom meetings, and their donation towards people doing Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) in Myanmar.
In need of foreign assistance
People in Myanmar are also counting on the international community for help, mostly from the United Nations R2P (Responsibility to Protect), but due to its complex nature, Yuki mentioned how it could be difficult to obtain foreign aid.
Lastly, Yuki echoed the same opinions that other Burmese people have - that foreign assistance is much needed, but following through with the Junta’s request for another election is not only unacceptable but a disgrace for democracy.
“We do not need re-election. We just want democracy and for the military leaders to return our democratically elected officials,” Yuki emphasized.
Photo: ABC News: Jarrod Fankhauser
Worried and scared
“In war, truth is the first casualty” is a popular quote by Aeschylus, a Greek dramatist, which in many ways reflects the current situation in Myanmar. Kaung, a 2nd-year student mentions how he utilizes social media to share news and updates of the coup to his friends, especially in the midst of internet blackouts. He emphasized the simple yet impactful act of sharing current events to spread awareness.
“Wait, is it true?” Was the thought that raced through Kaung’s mind as he frantically scrolled through social media.
During that day, Kaung just finished his part-time job when suddenly his Facebook feed was brimming with news of the coup d’état that was shared and reposted by his seniors - this led him to make several phone calls to his parents but to no avail due to the internet cutouts.
However, he is currently able to contact his family and friends through applications like Telegram that are known for its encrypted messaging system. Kaung points out how some of his social media might have been compromised during the coup, which made him paranoid in the beginning.
“During the internet cutouts, I was worried because we all did not know what was happening.”
Captured for protesting
Kaung is worried for his friends and family’s well-being, as a couple of his closest friends have been captured for participating in peaceful protests or for sharing and spreading awareness on social media. He acknowledges that going back to Myanmar could put him in a difficult situation due to his anti-Junta stance and for sharing the many atrocities of the Myanmar military on social media during the coup. He mentions how some of his friends have been released - some faced 2 days or even months, but there are still a couple of his friends who haven’t been released yet.
His activism does not end there as he mentions how he donates a third of his part-time job earnings to the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), which was the Burmese government prior to the coup. He mentioned how his donations help the people of Myanmar who are currently participating in CDM, especially when there has been a shortage of food for many families.
“I donate to make sure people have enough food on the table,” Kaung said while explaining his main reason for donating.
Universities revoking scholarships
Being in Japan, Kaung feels extremely grateful for this opportunity to not only study abroad, but to also experience university life in relative peace. However, because of the coup, many universities (around the world) revoked their scholarship programs on students from Myanmar.
He stresses the role of scholarships, especially during the coup, in assisting students from Myanmar in hopes of opening new opportunities and creating a better life for themselves.
Sincerest appreciation towards both Yuki and Kaung for agreeing and cooperating to be interviewed, and to be a part of this article.
To check out Myanmar Youth Student Association: